


Over the Dust of a Ghostly Trail

by Basilintime



Category: Mass Effect
Genre: M/M, Western Witch/Witch Hunter AU
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-06-04
Updated: 2015-06-23
Packaged: 2018-04-02 21:10:55
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,408
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4073992
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Basilintime/pseuds/Basilintime
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Shepard finds himself the new deputy in the town of Cerberus after an old friend suggests there might be something going on behind the scenes in the small town; not to mention a link to the notorious gang The Reapers. <br/>What Shepard finds is a quiet town with a few too many secrets and a thief known as Kaidan Alenko.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. An Echo of Hoot Beat Thunder

**Author's Note:**

> So, this is my first Mass Effect fic so be gentle please. This first chapter is short but I'm hoping for the subsequent chapters to be longer. 
> 
> This is also entirely for my lovely friend Choosyfruit who had a list of prompts that included a western AU and a witch/witch hunter AU that I merged together to create this wonderful mess. I hope you enjoy. 
> 
> The fic name and this first chapter name come from an old "cowboy" song called Tall Men Riding.

                “Goddammit Rex.” Shepard dusted himself off as he stood up from where he’d wound up on his back after the blow. The man who’d hit him with a metric ton of magic meant to stun was now riding away on his damn horse. He should have expected it, he had already picked up on the fact that the man they were chasing from town was more than just the typical thief. He heard Miranda’s approach as he watched the ever shrinking sight of Rex and the man who’d stolen the horse right out from under him.

                “You mind telling me why the man who just stole a small fortune from Mayor Saracino is riding away on your horse, Shepard?” The sheriff, Miranda Lawson, dismounted next to him and tilted her hat back out of her eyes so she could watch the retreating rear end of the horse in the distance. His goddamn horse. Miranda could have tried going after him but it was clear there’d be little point in that now. He’d gained too much distance for there to be any real hope in catching him, even more distance than he should have managed given the fact that would have sworn he’d had him at gun point only seconds before.

                “Sorry, ma’am, he must have got the slip on me.” Miranda eyed him critically in that was she had that told him she knew more than she was likely to ever tell. They’d only been working together for ten months now but they had managed to get along just fine. Shepard did as he was told, something Miranda liked about him, even if he did ask too many questions.

                “I’m disappoint, Shepard, I didn’t bring you out here from Citadel to have you conned by the first thief you stumble across. You’re lucky we already know who he is though I’m going to expect you to be the one to bring him in now. I’m sure you’d like your horse back anyway,” Miranda said with sarcastic emphasis at her mention of Rex.

                “Yes ma’am, I think I would as I have a few choice words for him.”

 

                “Rough day, Shepard? I heard you let one get away.” Garrus poured the shot as he spoke just loud enough for Shepard to hear him over the music playing in back. Garrus, an old war buddy from years ago, had been the one to convince him to come to town of Cerberus in the first place after Shepard had been approached for the job. He’d hinted that there was a lot more in play than just a small town out on the fringes. This was the first real hint that the man might have been right.

                “Well, I figured things were getting a bit boring so I thought this might mix it up some.” Garrus gave a rough laugh as he gave the room a quickly glance before leaning forward on the bar top. “Miranda said that thief was known throughout town. Is it also known that he’s a witch?”

                “If I had to hazard a guess I’d say there’s some people who probably know that. It’s news to me though. Liara did fill me in on the account that he stole from though. Apparently the reason the Saracino’s not acting too broken up about the stolen money is that it wasn’t his account that got hit. The money actually belongs to Mr. Illusive himself.” Shepard gave a soft disbelieving laugh as he shook his head. The Illusive man, from what he’d gathered, really ran the town of Cerberus rather than the inept Saracino though he’d yet to figure out what game they were playing. The town wasn’t exactly somewhere you could expect to strike it rich so there was something else in play behind the scenes.

                “You’d think they’d fill me in on that bit of information considering I’m a hunter as well as a deputy. If it was Illusive’s money that was taken they’ll be pushing for this Kaidan character to get caught even harder now.” Garrus wiped at a glass with little focus or care as he glanced around the bar at the scattered patrons. Most of the people in town didn’t seem bad which meant it hadn’t been hard to pick out the ones who were likely to cause trouble. It was quiet just then with it being too early for the regular nightly crowd of drunks to wander in.

                “I’d hate to be him right now with you on his trail, Shepard. I’ll check around tonight and see if I can’t get anything out of this lot on him that might help. Or; you know, any other interesting bits of gossip that might come my way.” Shepard downed the shot that had been waiting on him before putting a few bills down on the bar.

                “Thanks Garrus. I’d appreciate that. I’ve got to go track down Cortez to see about borrowing a horse for a day or two.”

                “Don’t tell me the kid got your horse, Shepard, you might be getting too old for this line of work if that’s the case.” Garrus pocketed the money to add to the till later as he gave Shepard a disappointed look. “Maybe I made a mistake calling you out here on this hunch of mine.”

                “If I’m getting too old, Garrus, that must mean you’re far past your prime.”

 

                If you needed transportation somewhere Steve Cortez was the man to see. He owned the stables on the edge of town and typically ran a coach out to meet the train each week when it came through to bring in goods and people. He was one of the people Shepard had come to trust quickly in his first few weeks and was a good friend now. There might have even been a little more there if the timing had been better. Steve had been married up until a few weeks before Shepard arrived in town when his husband had been shot down by a gang that went by the name The Reapers.

                Shepard hadn’t encountered the gang yet who was notorious for coming and going as though they were ghosts slipping between the realms. Cerberus wasn’t the only place that the Reapers liked to terrorize, they were a large group that was widespread in a network across the Midwest, but they could be beat. Shepard had done just that a few years ago when they’d settled in on attacking a town not far from Citadel City where he’d stationed himself before. Each territory that they rode in had a central leader that commanded their local chapter and if you could take the head off the rest typically scattered like roaches.

                When he reached Cortez’s place he knocked on the front door though he didn’t expect the man would answer. Typically he was around back in the stables or barn so after letting the appropriate amount of time pass Shepard started towards the back along the porch to figure out where the man was at. As he came to the back he caught sight of Steve in a small corral as he worked with a horse that seemed a bit skittish. He watched for a while as the man worked with the patience of a saint with the mare as she skirted his commands.

                “Can I help you with something Deputy?” He hadn’t realized that Steve had noticed him standing there until the man spoke up. He didn’t stop his careful directing of the horse as she finally started to fall in line, trotting calmly in a circle as Steve turned with the lead in hand.

                “I was hoping to borrow a horse for a few days if you don’t mind. I’m willing to pay.” The horse slowed to a stop and Cortez walked up to her to run a hand down along her neck. She pulled back slightly with a nervous whiny but calmed with his touch.

                “You’re not going to lose it like the last one.” There was a soft joking tone in the man’s voice and Shepard gave a small groan.

                “Does no one in this town know how to keep quiet?” Steve shrugged as he led the horse over to the side of the corral so they could talk a little easier. She was a gorgeous pinto and must have been relatively new as Shepard didn’t remember seeing her the last time he’d visited. “Where’d you find this one?”

                “She was out on the plains along the river. All alone out there nowhere near the main herd. Followed along without too much fuss,” Steve said before tutting gently at the mare when she fussed. “Been working with her the last few days and she’s taken quickly to it. Starting to think someone may have lost her. Probably got a bit lonely out there.”

                “And what about you? What were you doing out that way?”

                “Thinking. Remembering. Robert loved it out there. Used to talk big about expanding out that way. Buying more land and moving out away from town.” Steve had started opening up more to him about his late husband in the last month or so. Shepard hoped it helped him in a way to have someone to talk to who hadn’t known Robert themselves. “Sorry, it’s just getting close to that time of year now. Come on, we can put this girl away and we’ll find you a horse.”  

                “You don’t have to apologize, Steve. It’s important to remember the good time. Just don’t get so caught up in the past you aren’t paying attention to things going on around you.” Shepard stepped off the porch and followed along the fence to the far end of the corral where Steve had led the horse to bring out through the gate. They fell in step beside each other as Steve kept a loose but steady hold on her bridle. “You ever think of buying that land, expanding out on your own?”

                “No, not now. If Robert was still around but,” Steve trailed off and Shepard lifted a hand to pat his shoulder. “If I had been there that day maybe…maybe things would have gone a bit differently.” They stepped into the barn to the sound of the other animals shuffling in their stalls as they waited for their evening meal. Steve took the mare down to a stall that was on its own and got her inside, trying the lead to the door.

                “You can’t think that way. There’s no saying how things would have happened if you’d been there.” Shepard leaned against the side of the stall door as Steve started to brush the horse down as he made quiet reassuring sounds to keep her calm. The man was quiet for a long time as he got the mare’s coat brushed out before he slipped the bridle free and Shepard stepped out of the way so he could close the stall door.

                “Now, let’s find you a ride that won’t run off without you,” Steve said, the attempt at a joke falling a little flat with the emotion in his voice. Shepard let it slide as Cortez contemplated the stalls before picking one. He approached the door and reached through the top bars to trail his hand down along the horse’s jaw. “How about Kodiak here? He’s calm and doesn’t shy easily. Should be a good choice for you.”

                “Well, can’t do much worse than Rex considering he turned traitor on me.” Shepard reached a hand out to the horse who sniffed it in expectation of a treat. “How would he do in a chase if that came up? With the robbery my guess is we may be searching to try and find our thief the next couple of days.”

                “He should do just fine. Kodiak’s one of my best; he’s quick and handles well. Just promise you’ll take good care of him. I trust you to look out for him.”

                “Promise I’ll bring him back healthy as a horse, Steve, just as soon as I get my own ride back. Think you can have him ready early in the morning tomorrow?” Cortez gave him a small frown of disapproval at the joke but nodded as he stepped back from the stall for them to head out of the barn.

                “You sure you don’t want to take him tonight? I could have him ready in just a little while. Have to get the feed out before they get too riled but shouldn’t take long.”

                “No, I feel a bit like walking for tonight. Thank you though, Steve. I’ll let you get back to work for now. I’ll be back by in the morning around dawn if you don’t mind.” They walked back out of the barn, the sun getting ready to start setting off over the hills to the west of town. They paused for a second at the corner of the house as Shepard offered his hand. Steve took hold of it and they shook hands both in departure and in agreement for the horse.

                “I’ll have him ready for you. You have a good night, Shepard.”

                “You too, Steve.”


	2. The nights are cool and I'm a fool; each stars a pool of water

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shepard starts investigating just what was really stolen in Cerberus where it starts to seem everyone has secrets.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter title from an old "Cowboy" song called Cool Water.

                The one thing Shepard could say he appreciated about Cerberus was the view. The town had one of the best views of the night sky that could be found. The stars had stood out bright as he’d wandered down the street while sounds of life leaked out from the buildings around him. Despite the undercurrent of secrets the town had proven to be a fresh start for him. His former superior, Anderson, back in Citadel City had been concerned about him getting back out on the job so quickly after he’d almost died when things had gone south on a hunt. He still bore the scars from the magic that had hit him.

                He’d been provided a room above the sheriff’s office and he climbed the wooden steps up to the door now as he looked out into the dark of the plains that settled around the town. Somewhere out there was a witch who’d just stolen a large amount of cash from the most notorious but unseen man in town. Shepard wasn’t even entirely certain how he’d pulled it off yet but he was certain that was due to a certain magical element. He’d have to make one of his first stops in the morning be the bank to see if could pick up any lingering impressions or if anyone there had seen anything. He wasn’t exactly in the loop on this one aside from knowing that there had been a theft and who that thief had been.

                Somewhere out in the dry plains that man likely was hidden away likely looking up at the stars as well as he basked in his new found riches. He probably believed he’d gotten away clean with it too, worry free and hopefully careless. Shepard would join any search party they put together in the morning but he’d do his own search too. He could do a tracking spelling on Rex and follow it as far as it would take him. As long as they hadn’t gone too great a distance he’d be able to find them.

 

                “I can’t believe you stole ze man’s horse.” Kaidan sighed again as he finished brushing out the strange animal’s coat. It hadn’t flinched away from his magic like most animals had and now he knew why. Tali was standing a short distance from him and he didn’t need to meet her eyes to know that she was upset with him. Things had gone to hell that afternoon during the heist but they had at least gotten out of town with what they’d gone to collect.

                “Tals, I told you. I didn’t have much of a choice. He was right on top of me and you two had taken off in the coach,” Kaidan said as he gave the horse a short pat before he turned to companions. There were a few hollowed out buildings around them but they only typically used those for shelter in a case of emergency. Things lingered in the old spaces that made even Kaidan feel a bit skittish.

                “Because you told us to go. Do you not remember that? ‘I’ll be fine, Tali, go. I will draw them off of you and meet you back at camp.” Tali wasn’t usually this worked up but she reacted with sarcasm when something was troubling her. Kaidan gave a frown from over the flames of the fire.

                “I think it’s funny.” Jack spoke up from where she was sitting, tattooed skin bared even as the air cooled around them for the night. They heard the cry of a coyote in the silence that followed with Tali shaking her head in disbelief as Kaidan took a seat on one of the old logs they’d used to make some semblance of seats with.

                “I did draw them away from the two of you and we all made it back to camp, Tali.” She crossed her arms as she contemplated the animal that was standing quietly in with their own horses. The stage coach sat a short distance away with their score still hidden inside it as they’d all felt uncomfortable removing it with the night approaching. It’d be safe in the coach, shielded with the magic and manipulation Tali had worked around it.

                “Yes, but we came back with ze horse that belongs to a witch hunter. Not even just a witch hunter but _Shepard_. He will come to find us now that he knows we are here. He will not be like ze others, he will be able to see through our defenses.” Tali sat down with a defeated air besides him as they stared into the flames. Things had been easy for a while, sure, the Illusive Man had plenty of power, sway and magic at his hands but it was a corrupted version of it. They’d had no need to worry about their stealth spells being detected by his people. Now though this Shepard, who Tali seemed to know enough about to be scared by him, was in town and that short second where he’d thrown up a defensive spell out of instinct his magic had felt pure. Pure and strong with a hint of a sad melody weaved within.

                “Guess we better step things up. Between this Shepard asshole and the rumors that the Reapers have been gathering nearby means we’re running out of time if we’re gonna do this shit,” Jack said as she broke the silence. She’d been trying to get them to step things up for months now, tired of their slow pace and her already short patience running thing. Kaidan had wondered if it’d been a good idea to bring her frequently but she was strong and passionate. She knew the Illusive Man and his habits far better than anyone else outside the man’s inner circle as well.

                “Tomorrow we’ll get that thing out of the coach and see if we can’t figure out just what it’s for. There must be some reason to have an object of that much power hidden right in the middle of town and we need to figure out what that reason is. We’re going to lay low for a while though, the best we can, until we figure that out. There’s no reason to go busting in there without a plan in place.” Tali eyed him for a moment but didn’t protest the plan at all. She’d voice her opinion but in the end Tali was always will to go along with him. If anyone gave him trouble with lying low it’d be Jack and sure enough she kicked some dust at the fire before she stood with an angry huff.

                “We can’t keep sitting here on our asses.”

                “We can for another day or two, Jack.” She didn’t answer but stormed off to take up her spot by the rock wall nearby. Kaidan shook his head and Tali gave him a light nudge with her shoulder.

                “It is smart, keeping quiet. We can reach out our contacts in town too, see what damage has been done.” She got up to head over to what Kaidan could only describe as her nest to hit the hay as well. Tali surrounded herself with magically imbued parts and piece, was building from scraps almost constantly in any downtime they got. Some of those inventions of hers were brilliant and had been more than a little helpful at times. Kaidan sat for a while before leaning far enough he let himself fall back into the dirt to stare up at the sky. Some days he wondered if this was all going to be worth it.

 

                “They told you it was money that was stolen?” Liara spoke with a hint of humor in his voice. Shepard still hadn’t quite figured out the woman during his short interactions with her. He knew she ran things financially in the town, pulled strings where they were needed to help keep some of the businesses running even with the harsh conditions. He couldn’t tell if she was someone he could trust just yet or not though with all that power and knowledge. “That is rather typical though how the Illusive Man expects anyone to find what is missing without informing them what it is…” She trailed off and shook her head. He’d still never heard a name for the Illusive Man, no one seemed to know it or if they did they didn’t use it, not even Liara.

                Shepard had lied when he had come to question Liara and told her he’d been filled in that it hadn’t been Saracino who’d been robbed. It was a risk since he was supposed to still be in the dark like the rest of the town but he needed actual information. The fact that she acknowledged the truth meant she either believed him or at the least was willing to go along with the ploy. He just hoped it didn’t end up biting him in the ass later if she ran to tell Miranda that he knew the truth.

                “If it wasn’t money what did get taken? And how? The guy was on foot when I saw him and not weighed down by anything, not even money.” It had struck him in the middle of the night while Shepard tried and failed to sleep as always. He’d not seen anything on Kaidan while he was giving chase and though magic could account for that in some aspects the guy would have still been under the burden of the load. Liara raised a delicate eyebrow at him as she seemed to suppress some amusement.

                “You are not the first to ask me that, Shepard.” She knew something but wasn’t handing it over. He wasn’t the only one who had been trying to figure the other out. Liara had made some carefully placed comments and questions throughout their few interactions. She didn’t seem particularly heart broken by the fact that something went missing from her bank which seemed out of character for her. She prided herself in the security of her customer’s assets but she didn’t appear like she’d lost any sleep over this recent breach.

                “Why would they lie not only about what was stolen but who it was stolen from?” It was another gamble that the knowing look she gave him seemed to indicate that it was one that would pay off. She glanced momentarily towards the door before she moved to sit down at her desk, opening a drawer to pull out a ledger.

                “They would lie about it because the Illusive Man is not supposed to exist and you aren’t supposed to know about him.” It was an offer of mutual agreement. She wouldn’t let the fact that he knew more than he was supposed to slip if he kept whatever she was about to tell him now to himself. Shepard might finally have managed to find a crack on the façade that seemed to blanket the town and he took the seat across from her in a show of acceptance of the terms. “The item that was stolen also is not supposed to exist. In fact they tried to hide it from me within the walls of my own bank as though I was some amateur.”

                “Do you know what it is?” She’d flipped through a few pages to the middle of the ledger to a lot number listed with a number of a specialized lock box room it would have been located. There was a neat cursive scrawl detailing the item in simple descriptive terms. She let him finish reading over the words before she answered as she frowned lightly at the page as though it had disappointed her.

                “No. I was making inquiries to try and decipher it. There were runes scrawled across the surface of it but I’d only gotten as far as to identify them as being of Prothean nature. It is a most magical language and finding someone who could decipher it was proving difficult especially as I had to be quiet in my attempts.”

                “I didn’t think anyone could decipher Prothean anymore. We’d found some relics back near the Citadel but there were no ciphers that could aid in figuring out what they were used for.” Liara sighed with a disappointed air as she closed the ledger and rested her hands on top of it. “What would the Illusive Man want with an old relic whose magic had ran out long ago?”

                “But that’s the thing, Shepard, this items magic had not ran out.”

 

                Shepard left the bank from his meeting with Liara with a new unease and a potential new ally. Liara had explicitly reminded him that their discussion was a private one before he left with a look that had been calm but threatened all sort of consequences if he broke that agreement. If there had been a Prothean artifact in town that still held magic inside it could prove to either be a useless piece of the past or a source of power. The fact that it’d been hidden away by a man who wouldn’t even reveal his true name or face in town made it seem that it could be a dangerous tool. A dangerous tool that was now in the hands of a witch with unknown intentions.

                He sighed as he mounted the horse he’d picked up from Steve early that morning, the man already prepared to make a run out of town for some supplies that day. They’d exchanged the usual pleasantries before the man got that distant look in his eyes that said he wanted some time to himself. Shepard had taken his horse and got straight to the bank to make an early start on his own investigation before he was due to join the other deputies and Miranda. They were going to do a sweep of some well-known hideouts to see if they could flush out the thief though Shepard had the feeling that it was more an exercise in wasting time. Make them all feel busy while the real search happened behind the scenes.

                “Come on, Kodiak.” He clicked at the horse and gave it a nudge with his heels so they could start down the street. He had thought of casting the finding spell on Rex that morning and following it during the search but he’d chosen to wait. He was glad he had now. If he could locate that relic on his own without it having to fall back into the hands of the Illusive Man it may prove a wise move.

 

                The search had been futile. The group of them had wandered around the dust and shrubs from one location to the next without any luck. Shepard had voiced early why they were searching known hide outs when it was likely they’d be the last place the thief had gone and Miranda had given him one of those looks. She knew it was a waste of time too, he could tell by her attitude the entire day, stern and quiet with a clenched jaw and impatience. She didn’t want to be out here anymore than the rest of them but she’d told them early on that it was a direct order from the mayor. Shepard was starting to believe that it wasn’t the mayor who gave Miranda her orders.

                By the time they returned to town everyone was in foul moods and the sun had reached its midday peak. Shepard lingered at the office for a while until the other deputies had wandered off into town to do rounds. Miranda sat at her desk as she massaged her temples and stared down at the ‘official’ report from the day before. She looked up at him when it became clear he hadn’t wander off with the others.

                “I’m busy right now, Shepard.”

                “I was hoping to have a word about yesterday.” She sighed and sat back in his chair to take him in. Miranda Lawson was someone who clearly had a past though she kept her secret well hidden. Not even Garrus had known much about her when he’d asked and Garrus had found out information about most people in town. Maybe he should use his new truce with the broker to dig around some to figure out just who the sheriff took her orders from.

                “We’ve already discussed what happened, Shepard. I’m disappointed but it could have happened to any of the others. I just expected more from you given your record. You don’t have to worry about it marring that record as long as you anymore unfortunate instances.” Miranda took in a casual tone but he doubted she felt as calm as she sounded. She looked back down at the report with a frown but when he tried to read the words from his vantage she gathered the pages and tucked them away.

                “It’s not that. The thief, this Kaidan, why would he target only the mayor’s accounts when he could have taken money from any number of the personal vaults and rooms? You’ve said that he’s known in the town, does he have some other motive? It might help us track him down or figure out if he might come back to strike again.” Miranda studied him for a few long seconds that dragged on between them. She gave him a pointed look before she stood as she lifted her hat from its place on the desk so she could put it on.

                “Kaidan has a grudge against the Mayor due to some old history. He also views himself as a sort of Robin Hood character, where he takes from the rich to give to the poor. The only difference is that he considers himself the poor that needs the aid.” She walked towards the door and he followed. He listened closely but wasn’t certain he was buying what she was saying.

                “What exactly is this old grudge?”

                “Perhaps it would be best if you got back to doing your rounds around town, Shepard. We want to make our presence felt to discourage any further law breaking,” Miranda said as she turned to face him on the front porch of the office. He debated pushing the issue but the steeled look he was getting from the sheriff warned him not to push though her eyes softened a little. “I appreciate you trying to make up for your mistake yesterday, Shepard, but the details aren’t important. All you need to know is that a thief stole something and that it’s our job to try and catch him. Understood?”

                “Yes ma’am.” Miranda nodded in approval before she turned away from him to leave him behind on the porch as she started down the street. He watched after her until she disappeared back past the blacksmiths. It was going to get late faster than he liked at this point and if he was going to have time to cast his tracking spell and try to follow it back to Rex before dark he’d need to get a move on. He climbed back up on Kodiak and turned the horse towards the edge of town. It would be better if he waited until he was out away from prying eyes to cast the spell.


End file.
